Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 353 Lucas: Aggressive Behavior

LUCAS

Five wolf bodies lie on the ground, their blood settled into pools of blood beneath them, frozen now in the snow.

My beta approaches, his face grim. He kneels beside one of the corpses, examining it with a critical eye. "You said they weren't in their right minds?"

I've seen my share of battles, but this was different. The rogues attacked with a ferocity that bordered on madness. "It wasn't natural. Almost rabid. We didn't have a chance to communicate."

I stand over the largest of the bodies, frowning. It wasn't as though we hadn't tried to bring them in alive. They just had no interest in negotiating. There isn't much we can do at that point.

Kellan's voice breaks through my thoughts. "They're only five miles from the compound."

"They were heading south," I say, watching as Kellan's shoulders visibly relax. "Not toward the pack."

It's a small comfort, but I'll take what I can get. Still, the proximity is unsettling. These rogues could have easily changed course, stumbled upon our territory. They're too close. We need to tighten our security, make sure we don't let it happen again.

I crouch down beside one of the bodies, studying it closely. "Maybe we should examine them further. There might be clues—"

Kellan shakes his head, cutting me off. "We don't have the facilities for that, Lucas. Autopsying random wolves would be a waste of resources we can't afford right now. What building are we going to take over? We can't bring dead bodies into the hospital. We don't have the room there, either."

With winter in full swing and refugees to care for, we can't spare the time or manpower for an extensive investigation over a few violent wolves. Still, the nagging feeling that we're missing something crucial gnaws at me.

"What if they were just traumatized?" Kellan suggests after a moment. "Starving, maybe. Could have gone feral."

It's a reasonable theory. We've seen it before—wolves pushed to their limits, reverting to pure instinct. Especially as rogues without a pack. But as I look at the bodies sprawled before us, something doesn't add up.

"It's possible," I concede, "but I don't think that's it." I gesture to the nearest corpse. "Look at them. They're young, strong. Their bodies are well-fed. This wasn't desperation."

"Then why attack without provocation? It doesn't make sense."

"We'll never know now."

The finality of my words hangs in the air. Five lives snuffed out, and for what? Such a waste of life.

My gaze falls back to the bodies at our feet. Their eyes are still open, glazed over in death, but I can't shake the memory of the feral gleam they held during the attack. It was as if something had stripped away their humanity, leaving nothing but raw, uncontrolled aggression.

Kellan asks, rising to his feet as he brushes snow

that's for certain. But disposing of them carelessly could leave

miles out, away from our territory. They'll

"I'll get it organized."

rogues have been on the uptick, but

But we have no technology to help us here. No laboratory to

raised in question. "Once we've taken care of this, I

* * *

sound of the front door opening cuts

Ava.

shower, not bothering to rinse the soap from my body. Water drips down my chest as I grab a towel, hastily wrapping it around my waist. The tile is cold beneath my

a ponytail. Her cheeks are

shower short," she says, a smile playing at her

arms around her. She's so small against me, fitting perfectly into the curve of my body. Honey and vanilla, with that faint hint of orange, surround

breathes, and I can

"Lucas! You're getting soap everywhere." She shoves

her go, watching as she shrugs off her snow-laden

me?

to one side. But then

in the air, fogging the mirror. I turn on the water, adjusting the temperature before stepping aside to let

just a moment before slipping out of her clothes, avoiding my gaze. I drink in the sight of her, my eyes tracing the curves

join her, closing the glass door behind us. The shower suddenly feels much smaller with both of us in it. Water cascades down Ava's body, and I can't

breaks through the fog of desire clouding

her ass and to her face. "What do

turns to face me, water droplets clinging to

five dead wolves flashes through my mind,

reaching for the shampoo bottle. "Just

doesn't press the issue, turning back to let the water run over her

working it into her hair. My fingers massage her scalp, and I feel some of the tension leave

a terrible liar, you know

still tangled

eyes meeting mine. "You don't have to tell me if you